Fragrant and flavorful curry stew chicken
Curry stew chicken is a deliciously flavorful and aromatic dish that tantalizes the taste buds of everyone who has a taste. It can easily become the go-to meal for your family gatherings, and special occasions. It’s the perfect blend of stew chicken with curry chicken, all in one pot.
By now you should realize that as a result of the multicultural dynamics of the Caribbean, we get a lot of merging of cultures of food. This creates a lot of dishes with bold flavors. And this dish is no different.
The combination of two top-tier dishes has birthed the emergence of a combination of savory, spicy, and a hint of sweet. A hearty stew that will tantalize your taste buds.
This curry stew chicken Trinidad recipe is a perfect representation of the bold and flavorful cuisine of the Caribbean. The combination of spices and fresh herbs creates a delicious and hearty stew that is sure to please your taste buds.
Whether you’re looking for something exotic or just want to try something new, this savory curry stew chicken recipe will delight all your senses!
What is curry stew
In Trinidad, curry stew is a blend of bold flavors. Think about the merging of the best of two worlds. Curry and stew as we know it in the Caribbean using caramelized brown sugar sometimes also referred to as browning sauce.
This dish is the perfect blend of the sweetness of a stew with the savory flavor of some curry. You get a full flavor profile with this dish.
I know everyone already loves a good curry chicken, then also on the same level is the best stew chicken. Imagine combining these amazing chicken dishes to create one of blended flavor, and we have a curry stew recipe.
How to make curry stew chicken
Ingredients
What makes this dish really stand out is the spices. We are combining the freshest of the best of the best.
Besides the main ingredient of the meat, here are the important seasonings:
- Curry powder – Any brand that you use is fine. My personal preference is Chief brand curry or the Jamaican curry powder Betapac.
- Green seasoning – Any Caribbean house usually has this freshly made ready-to-go. You can quickly grind up your own following my green seasoning post. You can now also buy premade in most supermarkets.
- All-purpose seasoning – Or all the combination of seasonings that you usually use with your meat.
- Brown sugar
- Fresh herbs and peppers – garlic, onions, pimento pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, green onions.
- Water
- Salt and pepper.
- Vegetable oil.
Instructions
- Clean and season up the chicken pieces. Clean off any extra skin and wash with lime or vinegar. Rinse that off and then season the cleaned chicken with green seasoning, fresh thyme, and a mixture of all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Now we need to make a paste using the curry powder, some water, and the remaining green seasoning, then add in the onions and sliced garlic cloves.
- On medium-high heat, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan with the brown sugar until the sugar starts to melt and is bubbling. It should be dark brown. Do not let it get too dark. It’s the same method we use to make stew chicken.
- Once the sugar is bubbling, stir in the curry paste and let that bubble for about 1 minute while stirring. Add in 1/4 cup of water and continue to stir while we cook the curry and get it heated through for about 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the seasoned chicken to the pot. Stir, making sure you coat the chicken, and keep stirring. Lower to medium heat and let the chicken continue to simmer in the sauce until the sauce reduces. Make sure to keep stirring occasionally to avoid any sticking.
- Once that is done, add about 2 1/2 cups of hot water to the pot. Add in chopped pimento peppers, your whole hot pepper, fresh thyme, green onions, salt, and black pepper.
- Continue to let this simmer until the meat is tender. Add additional water if needed to continue to cook till tender. Add additional salt and pepper if needed. N.B: If you want more gravy, make sure you add a little more water when it’s simmering.
Substitutions | Additions:
Like with any recipe, mine is just a base for you to start with. Once you start making it, you are free to make any substitutions or additions you feel like making.
Here are a few that come to mind:
- Pimento peppers: These are hard to find in the US. When I do find it, it’s at my local Caribbean supermarkets. If you don’t have any pimentos that’s okay. You can leave it out, but make sure to up your other seasonings like salt, pepper, and all-purpose.
- Potatoes: Want to add more body to this dish, just add in some potatoes. If you are cooking for a larger crowd and you would like to stretch the pot, adding this would help. After you’ve added the water and the pot is simmering down, add in two potatoes (cubed) and let them simmer with the meat.
- Coconut milk: Using coconut milk will give this dish an additional layer of flavor. Add about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of coconut milk with the water.
- Bell peppers: Another great flavor profile created by adding some slices of sweet bell peppers
- Chicken wings: Instead of using a whole chicken cut up, you can instead make curry stew chicken wings or even use chicken legs or thighs.
What goes with curry stew chicken
This delicious dish can pair with just about anything. Here are some of my suggestions.
- With your favorite rice dish: some plain white rice, rice and peas, or yellow rice.
- Dumplings: Can be plain, cornmeal, or cassava. Then add some ground provision like boiled plantain
- Some kind of pie: You can do macaroni pie, cassava pie or potato piece.
- Peas: Stewed lentils or pigeon peas.
Storage
This chicken is even better as it sits for a while in its sauces. It can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to three days. It can also be frozen right away or later in freezer bags. It can be there for up to two months once properly sealed.
To warm up from the fridge the best way is to do so on the stovetop. Add a little water to the pot and make it comes to a high simmer. Simmer till heated through. If warming up from frozen, leave it to defrost overnight in the fridge then warm it up as mentioned prior.
More chicken dishes:
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have caramelized the sugar too much. To get this to go away, add some more water to the pot, about a cup of water, and let it simmer down some more. This will thin out the bitterness.
Flavorful curry stew chicken
Ingredients
Method
- Wash and clean chicken pieces
- Combine all the ingredients to season the chicken then set aside.
- Combine all the ingredients for the curry paste and set aside.
- On medium-high heat, add oil to your heavy bottom pot, then sprinkle the brown sugar. Allow the sugar to melt and start to bubble.
- Add in the curry paste and stir it in mixing it up. Add 1/4 cup water and stir it up for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the seasoned chicken to the pot and stir to coat it with the liquid in the pot. Keep stirring making sure it does not stick.
- Lower the heat and let the chicken continue to cook in the liquid until the liquid reduces most of the way. Continue stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Once the liquid is low, add hot water along with pimento peppers, salt, black pepper, hot peppers, thyme, and green onions.
- Continue to simmer the pot down till the water reduces and the chicken is tender.
- Season with additional salt and pepper as you prefer.
- Serve hot and enjoy.
